At the Beginning
by DTLe
Summary: Now that Phoenix has cleared his name, life has brought him love, hope, and second chances. Phoenix/Iris songfic


Disclaimer: The Ace Attorney series doesn't belong to me. This is a non-profit fan work. The featured song is "At the Beginning" from the movie "Anastasia".

A/N: I ship Phoenix and Iris. No, I don't think she's a Mary-Sue. Get over it. This takes place during the Apollo Justice arc. Contains some spoilers from the Ace Attorney games. I warn you, it's kinda long.

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(Phoenix's POV)

_We were strangers, starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through_

I can never forget the day I met Iris. Although, I didn't know it was her back then. I didn't officially meet her until I came to Hazakura temple. With that meeting came revelations and realizations, like the fact that it was her that I loved during those bittersweet college years. My heart knew it wasn't my "Dollie" that was on that witness stand so many years ago. After that trial, there was a dull ache that lingered within me. It did subside over time, but when I think about that day, the pain came back at full force.

I never felt worse until I got disbarred. All those years I spent trying to prove my innocence took a toll on me. I'm not sure I could even go back to being a lawyer. As much as I always want to help the innocent, I know I've changed. I mean, look at me, I'm walking the streets in an old gray hoodie, black jeans, sandals, and a baby blue beanie. I didn't really care before, but I've honestly let myself go.

_Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you_

I stopped wallowing in my self-pity long enough to notice a figure on the corner. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders. Could it be…? I tried not to get my hopes up. The moment she turned around, my suspicions were confirmed. But what was she doing here? I figured she would be back at the temple with Sister Bikini.

_No one told me I was going to find you  
Unexpected, what you did to my heart  
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me  
This is the start_

All of those feelings came rushing back to me. Back then I was so naïve. To think, all of this wouldn't have happened if I just gave her the stupid bottle. I take it back, it wasn't stupid. It represented our love for each other, or so Dahlia told me. I was such a lovesick fool, but even so, I loved Dollie, no, Iris enough to wear that sweater she made for me. Those emotions were real, even when our relationship wasn't. Or was it? I would like to think so. Iris looked at me, did she even recognize me? My visits to the detention center slowly came to an end after I got disbarred. I wondered if I should say something. There was a hint of recognition in her face as she started to walk up to me. I took the chance to speak.

"Iris…" She seemed surprised.

"Phoenix, it really is you."

"Yeah, how are you?"

"Fine, how have you been?"

"Alright." It was a lie. There was a moment of silence and things were starting to get awkward really quickly. "So what brings you to the city?"

"Oh, I've been selling flower arrangements to support the temple, so sometimes I come here to do it." It made me remember that the only flowers I could name were sunflowers and tulips. Maybe I should work on that.

"That's nice. Say, you want to have lunch with me?"

"Um… yes, I'd love to." The hesitation in her voice was apparent. I don't blame her; I've barely talked to any of my friends these past seven years. It's a shame really. Now that my name has been cleared, it's time that I got caught up with everyone.

I ended up taking her to the Borscht Bowl Club, seeing that I couldn't really afford much else. The place has been pretty empty since the murder, but it managed to stay in business. Our table was next to my personal crate of grape juice. Iris was the first to say something.

"I heard that you cleared your name. I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks."

"So, what will you do now? Will you be a lawyer again?" I've been asking myself that for a while now.

"I actually don't know. I mean, I want to, but I'm not sure I'm up for it."

"Well, I think you should. You always seem to know when to believe in people… like when you believed in me." Now that she mentioned it, I had put my faith in my clients' innocence all the time back when I was a lawyer. _"We never really know if our clients are guilty or innocent. All we can do is believe in them."_ Mia… she managed to teach me so much, even after she died. It'd be a shame to let it all go to waste.

_And life is a road that I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
_Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey_

"I'll see if I can retake the bar exam", I finally stated.

"That would be nice. I'm sure everyone will be supporting you."

_I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

I ended up changing the subject. We talked more about current events. I told Iris about Trucy and Apollo, and everything that's happened up until I put Kristoph on trial. Iris was surprised that I had a daughter now, though she seemed relieved when I mentioned she was adopted. It became obvious how much I've changed since we first met at Ivy University.

_We were strangers on a crazy adventure  
Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true  
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you_

There was something that hasn't changed though. The way I felt about Iris, it was hard to hide. I thought it was over when "Dollie" was proven guilty of murder, but that time at Hazakura revealed so much. I learned the truth about that day I was almost poisoned, but the most important thing was that I knew who I really loved. I thought maybe she still felt the same, but years have gone by, and people change.

_And life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

I ran out of things to say. I wanted to get everything back to normal now that this mess was over, but it was easier said than done. I wondered about what to do. It seemed awkward to tell her at a time like this, but the danger was gone. The shadows of my past were no longer lurking behind me. What would I say to her anyway? _"Hey, let's go out again even though I haven't seen you for years"_? Iris broke the silence.

"It seems you're happy with your life now." The suddenness of it all caught me by surprise.

"It's better than I've felt for a long time." Iris slowly stood up out of her seat.

"I should get going; I'd like to get back to the temple before it gets too dark." I wanted her to stay; it was almost a desperate plea.

"Iris, wait."

"Yes Feenie—I mean, Phoenix?" Was it a sign? I had to say something now; the opportunity may never come again.

"I'd like to see you again sometime. Maybe I can take you to meet Trucy and Apollo."

"Um, alright, if you really think I should…"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just that, well…" It was obvious she was hiding something.

"What is it?"

"I just thought that, maybe I shouldn't intrude. You have a new life, and you seem happy. You don't need me in your life anymore."

"Iris, don't say things like that. I've already forgiven you."

"Yes, but I haven't forgiven myself." She was about to run off. I'm not sure what came over me, but I ended up taking her by the hand to make her stay. I think I had too much grape juice.

"Iris listen, that's in the past now. Ever since that time in Hazakura, I realized something very important. I still love you. I couldn't tell you before, but I want you in my life again. Even after Dahlia was declared guilty for trying to kill me, I never stopped thinking about you, even though I didn't know it was you back then, you know, hahaha…" My face was probably turning beet red. "Anyway, we can start over, at the beginning. There's nothing to hide this time. We can be totally honest with each other. So would you…?" Iris moved in to embrace me.

"I love you too Feenie. Maybe we can make it real this time."

_Knew there was somebody, somewhere  
A new love in the dark  
Now I know my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

"It was always real, we just didn't know it." I leaned in for a quick kiss.

_And life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

I walked with her to the train station. We said our goodbyes knowing we would be seeing each other soon. As her train departed, I watched the sun slowly set into the horizon.

_Life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river, I wanna keep going on  
Starting out on a journey_

I came home some time later. Trucy was there to greet me.

"Welcome back Daddy! Wow, you look pretty happy. Did something good happen today?"

"Yeah, you could say that." I didn't need to tell her now. She'd probably just get all giddy knowing she might get a new "mommy". I made a note to find a good time to tell her and Apollo about Thalassa. I went to bed that night actually looking forward to a new day for once. I was thankful for getting a second chance. Things could only get better from here on out. Speaking of which, I'll have to start studying for the bar exam tomorrow, I'm definitely a bit rusty.

_Life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry if it looks a bit rushed. While you're here, do you think Phoenix should be a lawyer again? If you leave a comment, it just might influence his fate in one of my later fics.


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